yoga poses

Just about a year ago, around this time. I was looking into teacher training programs to become a certified yoga teacher. If you read my yoga journey story, you know that I started practicing yoga around 3-4years ago , but it’s not after I came back from my trip to Asia that I felt the impulse to try it again. And little did I know that 8 months later, I would be on my way to my very first 200 hours of ttc. I took this TTC seach very seriously and really did my homework. I finally decided to go with JIVANI YOGA school in Costa Rica. Since then, time has flown by and I absolutely love teaching and sharing my love for moving the body with breath and getting sweaty!

How do you pick? How do you know which training is the right one? Because I know how confusing it can be with the bazillion options there are out there in the wild, I want to share the 5 questions everyone should ask themselves , when searching for the right ttc.

What are you looking for in a teacher training ?

First , you want to know what type of yoga you prefer. Theres tons of different trainings and teachers out there who may have a totally different vision than you do. Remember you will be spending 200 hours (if not more) learning and breathing about the type of yoga you choose. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions about the program and the type of yoga you will be learning to teach. Some trainings are deeply based on philosophy and mudras meanwhile others are more focused on physical asana and alignment. The curriculum should make you feel excited and interested. So that you don’t find yourself in an awkward position (like literally.)

Is it a yoga alliance registered school?

Making sure the school or training your attending is RYS certified will save you time & money after you graduate if you decide that teaching is truly what you want to do. I honestly haven’t had any studio asking me if I was registered with yoga alliance. But it is better if you are in the long run.

In what environnement do you want to be in?

This my friends is crucial. You will be spending a whole month in the same environnement so you want to choose wisely. Do you like warm weather ? Do you mind insects? Do you want to have access to the beach , or live on top of a tibetan mountain ? I know I wanted to have the beach close, surrounded by nature but not too far from the city. I live in the coldest country in the world. If I leave for a month, you can be sure it will be to remind myself that not all human beings live in polar bear land.

What does formal TTC graduates say about the training ?

At the end of the day , what matters is what you think about the training. But it doesnt hurt to check out the reviews or feedbacks from students that already graduated. Searching on youtube can be a good way to do so. At some point I was literally breathing and eating videos about graduates testimonials.

What is your budget & time commitement ?

Once you know how much time you’re able to spend on your training and how much your willing to pay. It will become much easier to find the one that suits you. Some trainings can be done on weekends, others are fully immersive (you have to live somewhere for a month) etc etc. Same goes for the cost of the training, the average is around 2000-5000 depending on where it is. Trainings that have accommodation and food included can help reduce the cost.

The most important thing is that you do your research and trust that you will find the right one. I believe nothing happens for nothing in life. If you’re meant to go to a training it could never be the ” wrong” training. No matter which one you choose, it will most probably be a life changing experience that will make you grow and learn so many incredible things.

I wish you the best of luck and cheers to being a badass yoga teacher, mate!

The other day I had to wake up around 5am to teach a class at 6:15am. No matter how much I prepared myself mentally and to go to bed early. I still woke up tired as hell (waking up at the crack of dawn should be illegal .) It’s a good thing I love yoga , and teaching , so that I didn’t completely loose my mind. Still, I was feeling very tired even after my 4th cup of coffee. Then I remembered I am a yoga teacher and I could use that at my advantage to , you know, get my body moving and boost my energy. So I did , and felt amazing. These 5 little moves worked their magic ( also giving some creds to the caffeine.) In case you have to wakeup up super early tomorrow or you just want to have more energy to start your day. Here are 5 yoga poses that can help you out!

Three legged – bent knee – down dog

Down dog is the home base. It’s pretty much one of the first pose you do in your practice because it’s where you start to scan and feel your body.Start by lifting your hips up, pressing your hands and finger tips down on the mat. Fingers spread wide, your hands are shoulder distance. Your head is relaxed , and you are creating space for your neck by inner rotating your shoulders. So that your biceps roll up towards the ceiling , and triceps down towards the mat. Deep breaths in and out , and send your breath to your hips. Feel the energy up, all the way from your hands, through your arms, a long side your ribs, hips, to the tip of your toes. The knee towards the ceiling helps to open your hip. I love this pose because it is such an active one but is also very grounding

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Half camel pose

This pose looks harder than it really is. And there’s actually plenty of options to modify. You can place a blanket under knees to be more comfortable. Simply stand on your knees, tuck your toes under so that you hills are higher. You can place your hands on top of your ”back pockets” and simply start to look up while pressing on your hips down.Lifting from the chest, going up and back slightly. You can either keep the hands on your lower back , or bring one hand to your heal ( thumb on the inside) and bring your other hand towards the ceiling. This is a great pose to boost your energy since you’re creating a back bend, opening your chest , throat, shoulders. Back bends are a good way to rise your energy naturally since they increase your heart beat. One of my faves!

Straight leg forward fold with a twist

I’ve had a love/ hate relationship with this pose. At first it’s a little uncomfortable, but then you settle in the pose and start to let go of the resistance and it’s magical. Start by separating your feet wide, straight legs bring your hands on your hips. Bend your knees a little ( or a lot, depends what fits better in your body.) Then breathe in and straighten your spine, and bring your right hand towards the left ankle or as far to the left you can bring it, and reach your left arm towards the right. Creating a twist in your torso, so that you activate your digestive system. You are also opening the chest , stretching the shoulders, side ribs and hamstrings.

High lunge side twist

We can say I am a fan of the twisting. I just love how they feel. Options are to keep the back knee on the ground. You can also bring one hand down on the inside of the knee and bring the opposite hand towards the ceiling. Creating a support with the hand on the ground and the knee down.

Upward facing dog

You can also modify by simply staying on your belly, place your hands under your shoulders and stick your elbows to your ribs. Then lift your chest and roll your shoulders back for little cobra. I love upward facing dog because it really wakes up every muscle in your body. It is also a great front body stretch. I love to start in down dog and then come forward to plank and drop my hips and roll my shoulder backs for updog. These two movement combine can be a great body activation by engaging your whole body and creating movement in your body. Make sure you are pressing into your hands, rolling the shoulders back and looking slightly up. Elbows are micro bent and you are pressing on the top of your feet to lift the hips up. Are you awake yet?

Comment below which one is your favourite and what are your tips to have more energy in the morning ?

A few years ago , I started to practice yogaso that I could get a good workout in. Little did I know that I would become totally obsessed with it and then become a teacher (ha! You never really know where you’re going to end up!) One of the many things yoga has helped me with is to deal with my anxiety. After coming back from my trip to Asia, I started to have chest pains and little moments of total panic. Thankfully, yoga helped me feel much more centered and gave me a couple of tools that I can whip out anytime I feel like my anxiety is taking me to a dark creepy ally.

Probably one of the biggest reasons anyone starts to do yoga is because they want to relax and feel good, as your goddess self deserves. That is why I want to share with you the 5 (beginner friendly) poses that help me reduce my anxiety. So that you can also feel like a zen buddhist monk.

Seated spinal twist

This pose is one of my all time favourites. It can also be done while laying down on your back, bringing one hip under and letting your knees fall to the opposite side. You can also place blocks in between your legs to help your knees touch the floor. Spinal twist are great when you feel like you’re loosing your shit, because it sends signals to your brain that actually helps to calm your nervous system. Simply bring one leg over the other leg (bent or extended) and hook your elbow on the outside of the knee. And make sure your spine is long and take deep belly breaths.

Forward fold ( cow face)

This one looks harder than it really is. I used to hate this pose but now I totally love it! Find a seated position and bring on leg over the other and try to stack your knees on top of each other. Your legs are both bent and flex both of your feet. Then you inhale find a long spine, and exhale fold forward. I prefer to round my back so that it is more of a resting pose. I find this pose opens my hips, so it releases any tension you might be holding on to. And the forward fold also gives a massage to your inner organs and helps to calm the breath.

Legs up the wall

This one is the ephipany when it comes to getting your shit together. When I travel , I find myself 85% of the time in this pose. This inversion is great because you are doing absolutely nothing, your legs are draining. So the blood goes back to your heart and it doesnt have to work as hard. For extra comfort, place pillows under your head and lower back and bring your hands on your belly, and breathe big belly breaths. You’re welcome!

Single leg side bend

I basically do this pose in all my yoga practices. There so many things that are happening here. Side bend, twist in the upper chest, harmstring stretch. Your mind has no other choice than being absolutely immersed in it. And that’s when the magic happens. Slow your breath here and feel all the feels.

Forward fold (Padangusthasana)

For the record, I am not trying to look at my butt upside down. There are many ways of creating this forward fold ,one of my faves is to simply grab my big toes with my index and middle finger. With the little hook I pull on my toes and bend my elbows side ways so that my chest rest on my tights. Having my head upside down helps me calm my breath and I love feeling the stretch right in the belly of my harmstrings. It’s a total calming pose, do this towards the end of your practice or randomly when you feel stressed out. I promise you won’t regret it!